LeBron James reveals thoughts on NBA All-Star Game changes
However, not everyone is exactly amused by the alterations as Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James was in no mood to discuss it.
“It’s not just the All-Star Game. It’s our game in general,” James said via ESPN. “There’s a lot of f—ing 3s being shot. So it’s a bigger conversation than just the All-Star Game.”
The steady increase in 3-pointers in the NBA has been a constant over nearly the last decade. It has become a huge anchoring component of offenses around the league that has now seen the defending champion Boston Celtics lead all teams with 51.1 attempts from beyond the arc this season.
Beyond James’ remarks, the NBA has seen a progressive decline in viewership over the last couple of seasons. Commissioner Adam Silver’s response has been to shake up the format for the All-Star game.
Instead of the traditional East vs. West game, the 24 All-Stars selected will be split up into teams of eight, while the fourth team will be composed of players from the Rising Stars game on Friday night. It will feature each of the games being untimed, with an endpoint being reached once a team scores 40 points.
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The sudden change has caused much negative feedback from the players, but there is a wait-and-see element. Time will tell whether this was the right move by the NBA.
